Sapporo will have the full backing of Asia should the city formally bid to host the 2026 Winter Olympics, Olympic Council of Asia president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah said in an interview with Kyodo News.
Sapporo, which will host the Asian Winter Games for a third time in February and held the 1972 Winter Olympics, submitted its plans to the Japanese Olympic Committee last month with a proposed budget of ¥430 billion to ¥450 billion.
The International Olympic Committee is expected to announce the bidding procedures for the 2026 Winter Games sometime in the new year. The JOC will then decide whether to formalize Sapporo's bid.